Mechanism for concentrating liquids.



J. E. DUNN.

MECHANISM FOR CONOENTRATING LIQUIDS. APPLIUATION FILED N011. a, 1911.

mmfssss.- 2 W5/v ra@ JOSEPH E. -DUNN, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANISM FOR CONCENTRATING LIQUIDS.

Specication of Letters lPatent. Patented Application qled November lt?, 1911. Ser'al 110.358,803.

July 23', 49125 To all whom'z'it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. DUNN, a British subject, residing in the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Mechanism for Concentrating Liquids, of which the following is a speci-- This inventionrelates to the evaporation and concentration of sugar and other solutions vby heating tubes extending therethrough and it contempl'atesheating the solution by subjecting it in bulk to direct contact with vertical tubesl having lower open ends in communication with a steam chamber and upper ends, closed excepting vents, terminating `in the evaporating chamber above the level at which the solution is maintainedautomatically. t

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation, part sectional, of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view ofa modified apparatus; Figp3 is an enlarged view, part sectional, ofthe upper part'of a tube shownin Fig: 1; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, part sectional, ofthe upper part of a tube and connections shown inFig.2.A y

As shown in Eig. l of the drawings, thev shells 1 and 1 have therein the respective' sheets 2 and 2 forming, respectively, in the shell 1, the top evaporating chamber 3 and the bottom steam chamber 4, and, in the shell 1', the top evaporating chamber 3 and the bottom steam chamber 4. Heating tubes 5 and 5 have their lower open ends set in the respect-ive sheets 2 and 2 so as to communicate with the respective steam chambers 4 and 4, and their upper ends, which extend into the respective evaporating chambers 3 and 3 to points above the liquid levels thereof, substantially closed by caps 5a, the latter having vents 5b therein through which air, collecting in the tops of the tubes, escapes, as illust-rated in Fig. 3. l l

Liquor is supplied to the chamber 3 through a conduit 6 under control of mechanism comprising a box 7 connected therewith, a valve 8 for controlling the flow v through the box, a fulcrumed lever 9 for operating the valve and a float 10 for oper# ating the lever so that when such liquor has risen to the desired level in the chamber 3 the float will be elevated and the valve 8 closed.' A pipe 11 connects the vapor space of the chamber 3 with the top of the box 7 "therein the valve 8,

.the valve stem 8a, and a weight 12a to permit the escape of air therefrom. Liquor, partly concentrated, flows from the chamber 3 to the chamber'l 3 through' the. conduit 6 containingA the box 7 which has lever 9"and ,oat 10, whereby the lflow-of liquor 'is cut off by the rise ofthe fic-at 10- and the closure of the valve 8 when the desired level is reached. Liquor, partially or finally concentrated, is

wit drawn from the chamber 3 by the conf provided with the valves 6e1 and 6b.

duit 6 A branch conduit 6', containing the box 7, -is connected withthe conduit-6 on opposite sides ofthe valve 6", the box bein connected by the equalizing 'conduit 7 a with the-chamber 3' at the liquor level thereof. A valve 8, a fulcrumed leverI 9and a icat 10, in the box 7, control the discharge through the duct 6 the float being of such weight that it will'rise and open the valve when the liquor attains the desired density. The density of liquor at which this valve opens can be regulated by a lever 12, pivotally connected to the box 7 vand t able on the lever. l

It will be understood that during` the process of evaporation the valve 6 is open and the valve 6" closed and that when the desired density has been reached the valve 6* can be opened to facilitate the discharge.

Steamv is introduced to the chamber 4 by the conduit 4a and rises in the tubes 5 which are heated thereby and heat the liquor circulating in bulk in contact therewith and battled thereby. Air (which is permitted to escape from the tops of these tubes through the vents 5b so that steam may act upon the full tube lengths) and vapor (which rises from t-he heated liquor) are discharged from the top of the chamber 3 through the conduit 13 to the chamber 4. municating with the chamber 4, are heated by this `vapor and heat the partially concentrated'liquor circulating in bulk in contact,

adj ust- The tubes 5', comtherewith and battled'thereby. The air discharged through the vents in the tops of these tubes and the vapor rising from the liquor in process of treatment are discharged from the top' of the chamberl 3 by the conduit 14. r

The construction illustrated in Fig. 2 com-- sheet -2 forming the vapor chamber 3 and the heatin chamber 4 and in the chamber 3 the vertia tubes 5 having their lower ends prises the shell 1 having therein the tube set in the sheet 2 so as to communicate with the chamber 4, as illustrated in Fig. 1. 'But these tubes have their substantially closed tops connected with a. pipe or conduit 15 by nipples 1G, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, whereby 4air can be drawn ott from the tops of the tubes, through the side of the shell, While no substantial amount of steam can escape owing to the small bore of such nipples.

It will be understood that owing to the lower pressure in the cvaporating chambers a degree 'of suction will act through the tube vents where such vents are in direct com` munication with such chambers to Withdraw air from the tops of the tubes and Where such vents communicate with a discharge pipe suction can be communicated through such pipe in any desired manner.

By the foregoing mode of operation subn stantially the total energy of the steam is tubes in said evaporating compartment having their tops closed excepting air vents and their open bottoms set in said sheet in com-I' munica-tion with said heating compartment, and means for introducing liquid into said evaporating compartment vand preventing the same from rising to the',level of the ail vents in said tubes. e

2. The mechanism for evaporating solu tions which comprises a shell having therein a sheet dividing it into an evaporating and a heating compartment, substantially vertical tubes in said evaporating compartment' having their upper ends closed excepting air vents and their lower open ends set in said sheet in communication with said heating compartment, means for discharging air from said tubes, and means for withdrawing air discharged from said vents and vapor rising from the solution in said evaporating chamber. l 4

3. The mechanism for evaporating solutions which comprises a shell having therein a sheet dividing it into an evaporating and a heating compartment, substantiallyvertical tubes in saidevaporating compartment having their lower open ends set in said sheet in communication with said heating compartment, and means for withdrawing gases through the tops` of said tubes.

In witness whereof I havehereunto set my name this 3rd day of November, 1911, in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

. JOSEPH E. DUNN.

Witnesses:

J os. G. DENNY, Jr., CHARLES N. BUTLER. 

